The fifth edition of the award celebrates the inclusion of a new category and highlights the debut of a Latin American country among the initiatives entered so far.
The WTM Latin America Responsible Tourism Award has, since its creation, been a showcase for projects that transform the sector and inspire good practices in tourism. Now in its fifth edition, the award reaffirms its commitment to giving visibility to initiatives that make a difference by extending the deadline for entries to February 22, 2025. The decision aims to ensure that more projects, particularly those led by small businesses, have enough time to apply, considering that January is a period of high demand for many businesses in the sector.
“The purpose of the award is to strengthen connections and generate exchanges between responsible tourism initiatives in Latin America. Allowing more time for these projects to be submitted is an efficient way of ensuring even greater representation in the awards,” explains Pablo Menendez, who is responsible for the award. So far, almost 70 projects from eight countries have been entered, with Brazil leading the ranking, followed by Colombia, Mexico and Argentina. Honduras is making its debut in the awards, with one initiative entered so far.
The 2025 edition highlights the inclusion of a new category, dedicated to the recovery of memory and appreciation of historical heritage, which has already made its debut with great enthusiasm. “The number of entries in this new category is already one of the most significant in the awards, what strengthens the importance of recognizing and encouraging initiatives that preserve the history and cultural identity of destinations,” says Menendez. Another category with a large number of entries, according to the curator, is the one that will reward the best initiatives in promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in tourism.
This year, the awards also have two new partners to strengthen the importance of the selection process. “Just like last year, we will have the support of experts from six allied organizations that are recognized in their areas of activity throughout Latin America and will help in the selection and awarding of the projects entered,” says Menendez. The debut organizations are “Muda!Coletivo Brasileiro pelo Turismo Responsável” [Brazilian Collective for Responsible Tourism] – a group of organizations that works to promote initiatives, stimulate research and qualify responsible tourism – and “Planeterra” – a world reference in community and social impact tourism.
The Award ‘s curator emphasizes that the jury will be 80% renewed. “This is because even the organizations that were already partners in 2024 have appointed other experts to select this year’s winners,” he explains. In addition to Latin American NGOs and institutions, the selection panel includes travel agents, tour operators, association leaders, government representatives, journalists and opinion formers from different Latin American countries, which consolidates the Award relevance.
The award not only recognizes good practices, but also opens doors for the projects to gain international visibility and greater credibility among players in the sector. “Many of the award-winning initiatives have been able to expand their impact and strengthen their operations after being recognized. The award plays the role of giving a voice to businesses that promote environmental, cultural and social preservation, inspiring the entire tourism chain,” Menendez concludes.
The finalists will be announced in the first week of March, and the winners revealed on April 15, 2025, during WTM Latin America, which takes place at the Expo Center Norte in São Paulo. The six categories are:
- Best initiatives for tackling climate change and conserving biodiversity. Supporter: Adventure Travel Association
- Best initiatives to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in tourism. Supporter: Muda! Coletivo Brasileiro pelo Turismo Responsável
- Best initiatives to promote social and economic impact and peace building through tourism. Supporter: La Mano Del Mono
- Best networking initiatives to promote responsible tourism in destinations. Supporter: Planeterra
- Best initiatives for Indigenous and/or Traditional Communities tourism. Supporter: Winta
- Nova! [New!] Best Initiatives for the preservation of memory and the appreciation of historical heritage. Supporter: Acotur
Registrations shall be submitted by February 15, by clicking here for access in Portuguese, here for access in Spanish, and here for access in English.